The 5 Most Boring Fights In UFC History

We all watch mixed martial arts because it’s super exciting. Fighters from different disciplines of martial arts compete under unified rules and test their skills against the best athletes from around the world. Every week, fans get to see crazy knockouts, highlight-reel submissions, and barnburners, but sometimes, things don’t quite live up to the expectations.

The UFC is by far the biggest mixed martial arts promotion in the world and has produced some of the best fights in history, but it also has its share of ‘snoozefests’. Here are the five most boring fights in UFC history.

Francis Ngannou vs Derrick Lewis

Francis Ngannou was knocking out opponents right, left, and center before he ran into champion Stipe Miocic, and suffered his second career loss in a heavyweight title fight at UFC 220 via unanimous decision, which made him rethink his approach. After his fight with Miocic, Ngannou fought Derrick Lewis with a very defensive approach, resulting in the fight turning out to be one of the most boring ones in UFC history.

Given that it was a fight between two of the hardest punchers in the heavyweight division, the MMA world was expecting fireworks. It was anything but. Neither of the two fighters was willing to engage and played it safe. In the end, Lewis did just enough to bag a unanimous decision victory home.

Israel Adesanya vs Yoel Romero

After beating Robert Whittaker to win the middleweight title, Israel Adesanya handpicked Yoel Romero as his first challenger, which got the fans pumped as it was the perfect striker vs wrestler showdown.

Fans were certainly expecting back-and-forth action, but Adesanya and Romero had other plans. The Nigerian-born fighter spent most of his time staying on the outside against Romero, using his leg kicks to just stay ahead of his opponent on the scorecards. Romero had his moments in the fight, and succeeded in landing two heavy counter shots, but he was also very reluctant to be the aggressor.

Adesanya managed to pick his shots well, and won the fight via unanimous decision, but it wasn’t an exciting fight by any stretch of the imagination. Even Dana White regretted booking the fight.

Frank Mir vs Mirko Cro Cop

Frank Mir and Mirko Cro Cop are absolute legends of the sport. Mir is one of the finest grappling heavyweights to compete in the UFC, while Cro Cop is a striking phenom. The two fought in the main event at UFC 119, and provided that they both were amongst the elite, fans were expecting a great fight. However, the MMA fanatics were extremely disappointed when things didn’t go as they had expected.

For 14 minutes straight, Mir and Cro Cop stood in front of each other doing virtually nothing. In the 15th minute, however, Mir was able to land a knee strike that put him, Cro Crop, and the fans out of their misery.

Anderson Silva vs Thales Leites

For many, Anderson Silva is the greatest MMA fighter of all time, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t had his share of boring fights. After four successful middleweight title defenses, Silva faced rising superstar Leites at UFC 97, and expectations were high.

However, the fans were extremely disappointed to see the two fighters circle around each other the entire fight. They also engaged in grappling and clinch exchanges, but the lack of action certainly had the crowd, commentators, and those watching around the world really annoyed.

Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs Cyril Gane

Cyril Gane improved to 8-0 by beating Jairzinho Rozenstruik in February at UFC Vegas 20. Gane was clearly very tactical and wasn’t willing to engage in a violent contest with Jairzinho, especially considering the solid amount of power the Surinamese has in his punches.

Being a well-rounded fighter, Gane completely neutralized his opponent’s threat by implementing a very tactical game plan. He didn’t rush in wildly and was patiently picking his shots. Rozenstruik clearly had a speed disadvantage and was unable to land anything significant as his opponent would move in and out quickly. While both did land shots, they were hardly fight-ending.

Rozenstruik takes more blame than Gane for the fight being boring, as many fans suggested. Gane was initiating exchanges, while Rozenstruik wasn’t willing to do the same. It’s understandable that the fans were disappointed, especially when only a week before at UFC Vegas 19, the MMA world saw one of the most brutal knockouts in heavyweight history. Although Gane was praised for his performance, the contest was certainly one of the most boring fights in the promotion’s illustrious history.

Which are some of the most boring fights in UFC history in your opinion?